I think TDJ is currently pursuing one (at Duke?)...IIRC. Does anyone else have one or considered getting one?

I'm strongly considering applying next fall for admission in 2013. I took an official practice test and my GMAT score came out to be 690, with a few months of studying I think I can crack the 700s.

I'd love to go to Stanford just because I loved the area when I lived there and I want to work for VC. But, it's the best program in the world and my individual chances of getting in would be pretty slim. Haven't really considered any other programs yet, though.

I think TDJ is currently pursuing one (at Duke?)...IIRC. Does anyone else have one or considered getting one?

I'm strongly considering applying next fall for admission in 2013. I took an official practice test and my GMAT score came out to be 690, with a few months of studying I think I can crack the 700s.

I'd love to go to Stanford just because I loved the area when I lived there and I want to work for VC. But, it's the best program in the world and my individual chances of getting in would be pretty slim. Haven't really considered any other programs yet, though.

You're mostly right. I finished my MBA in May. It was a fantastic experience and I highly recommend it.

As for your GMAT, if you're getting 690 on your first practice test, you can easily get a much higher score. I was around 650 when I first started out, then I took a Kaplan class. My official score was 760, which is top 2% worldwide. I highly, highly recommend taking a course. Kaplan worked great for me. The thing with the GMAT is that it isn't a test of intelligence. It's a test of your ability to apply strategies to "beat" the test. The classes teach you what those strategies are and how to apply them. Totally worth it.

I'd also say don't count out your chances to get into Stanford. Sure, it's a tough program, but anyone has a chance. You have nothing to lose by going for it. You might be surprised.

The main thing to keep in mind with an MBA is that it's not a guarantee of anything. But what it does do is open a ton of doors, especially if you're looking to make a career change. I went from working at large insurance companies before school to now being a consultant for Accenture. A pretty big change, and it could not have happened without the MBA.

_________________"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." - John Adams

“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson

February 6th, 2012, 10:11 am

Pablo

RIP Killer

Joined: August 6th, 2004, 9:21 amPosts: 9967Location: Dallas

Re: MBA

The first company I worked for in Detroit offered to pay for one so I did get an MBA from Wayne State (Go Tarters). So I got one, it was free (text books included) while I was working. I would say, after you have a college degree nothing beats attitude and work experience.

I could have gotten a joint degree when I got my law degree The MBA/Jd program was the same amount of credits, but I didn't figure I'd ever use it. I was thinking of going back and taking the 4-5 courses I would need to get it.

February 6th, 2012, 11:29 am

Murtyle

Mr. Irrelevant

Joined: April 16th, 2005, 3:23 pmPosts: 941Location: Hollywood, FL

Re: MBA

I'll be sitting for GMAT this summer... I'm at UF right now in their accounting program... We have to have 150 credits to sit for the CPA in Florida so I'll be starting my M.A. next year... Down the road though is like to get an MBA from Emory or NYU depending on where my career takes me... Anyone know if there's a time limit from when you'd have to re-take the gmat or can you stand on your test results til eternity?

I'll be sitting for GMAT this summer... I'm at UF right now in their accounting program... We have to have 150 credits to sit for the CPA in Florida so I'll be starting my M.A. next year... Down the road though is like to get an MBA from Emory or NYU depending on where my career takes me... Anyone know if there's a time limit from when you'd have to re-take the gmat or can you stand on your test results til eternity?

I believe GMAT results are good for 5 years. After that you'd have to retake it.

_________________"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." - John Adams

“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson

February 7th, 2012, 9:26 am

Murtyle

Mr. Irrelevant

Joined: April 16th, 2005, 3:23 pmPosts: 941Location: Hollywood, FL

Re: MBA

Touchdown Jesus wrote:

Murtyle wrote:

I'll be sitting for GMAT this summer... I'm at UF right now in their accounting program... We have to have 150 credits to sit for the CPA in Florida so I'll be starting my M.A. next year... Down the road though is like to get an MBA from Emory or NYU depending on where my career takes me... Anyone know if there's a time limit from when you'd have to re-take the gmat or can you stand on your test results til eternity?

I believe GMAT results are good for 5 years. After that you'd have to retake it.

Thanks... So how far in advance do you recommend I start studying for it? I was planning on starting after this semester (May here) to take it in August before next fall starts up... I'll be taking 2 courses over the summer as well...

I'll be sitting for GMAT this summer... I'm at UF right now in their accounting program... We have to have 150 credits to sit for the CPA in Florida so I'll be starting my M.A. next year... Down the road though is like to get an MBA from Emory or NYU depending on where my career takes me... Anyone know if there's a time limit from when you'd have to re-take the gmat or can you stand on your test results til eternity?

I believe GMAT results are good for 5 years. After that you'd have to retake it.

Thanks... So how far in advance do you recommend I start studying for it? I was planning on starting after this semester (May here) to take it in August before next fall starts up... I'll be taking 2 courses over the summer as well...

You should be fine with that schedule. I took an accelerated class and only had a month to study. I don't recommend that. It was really tough. If you have at least 3 months, you should be fine.

_________________"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." - John Adams

“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson

February 7th, 2012, 6:14 pm

Pablo

RIP Killer

Joined: August 6th, 2004, 9:21 amPosts: 9967Location: Dallas

Re: MBA

I just read a book a few days before and did fine. I'd done enough prep on the PSAT, SAT and ACT test before that. I personally didn't find the GMAT all that tough.

I just read a book a few days before and did fine. I'd done enough prep on the PSAT, SAT and ACT test before that. I personally didn't find the GMAT all that tough.

It really depends. Most engineering types struggle with it, because you don't actually have to solve for an answer for a lot of the GMAT problems, and that's what engineering is all about. Finding solutions. That part took me a while to break my old habits. Once I did though, it got a lot easier.

_________________"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." - John Adams

“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson

February 7th, 2012, 7:47 pm

Blueskies

QB Coach - Brian Callahan

Joined: September 13th, 2007, 12:43 pmPosts: 3101

Re: MBA

I would think that going to Wayne State on your employer's tab is much different from going to a top-flight program and probably racking up six figures of debt to do it.

Quote:

I could have gotten a joint degree when I got my law degree The MBA/Jd program was the same amount of credits, but I didn't figure I'd ever use it. I was thinking of going back and taking the 4-5 courses I would need to get it.

From what I've read, you can save a year and some tuition payments. But I don't know why you'd ever need both degrees. Unless you want to be a corporate General Consul, I don't think there is any appeal.

TDJ--why did you pick Duke? Also, did you consulting at your insurance job as well? I know that most people who get the MBA use it to advance their career in banking or consulting.

I'm not a banker nor a consultant--I would be using the degree to crack into other industries. I had a few interviews at some top hedge funds in the last few months, but was rejected from all of them. I felt like the reason I was rejected was because I was competing against Harvard MBAs.

February 8th, 2012, 9:15 pm

wjb21ndtown

Re: MBA

Blueskies wrote:

I would think that going to Wayne State on your employer's tab is much different from going to a top-flight program and probably racking up six figures of debt to do it.

Quote:

I could have gotten a joint degree when I got my law degree The MBA/Jd program was the same amount of credits, but I didn't figure I'd ever use it. I was thinking of going back and taking the 4-5 courses I would need to get it.

From what I've read, you can save a year and some tuition payments. But I don't know why you'd ever need both degrees. Unless you want to be a corporate General Consul, I don't think there is any appeal.

TDJ--why did you pick Duke? Also, did you consulting at your insurance job as well? I know that most people who get the MBA use it to advance their career in banking or consulting.

I'm not a banker nor a consultant--I would be using the degree to crack into other industries. I had a few interviews at some top hedge funds in the last few months, but was rejected from all of them. I felt like the reason I was rejected was because I was competing against Harvard MBAs.

I'm 90% sure I can get my MBA with 30 credits or less. The program is marketed to law students that want to run their own practice. I would hate to be corporate counsel somewhere, but that tour of practice generally involves primarily contract law, and/or the UCC.

I would think that going to Wayne State on your employer's tab is much different from going to a top-flight program and probably racking up six figures of debt to do it.

Quote:

I could have gotten a joint degree when I got my law degree The MBA/Jd program was the same amount of credits, but I didn't figure I'd ever use it. I was thinking of going back and taking the 4-5 courses I would need to get it.

From what I've read, you can save a year and some tuition payments. But I don't know why you'd ever need both degrees. Unless you want to be a corporate General Consul, I don't think there is any appeal.

TDJ--why did you pick Duke? Also, did you consulting at your insurance job as well? I know that most people who get the MBA use it to advance their career in banking or consulting.

I'm not a banker nor a consultant--I would be using the degree to crack into other industries. I had a few interviews at some top hedge funds in the last few months, but was rejected from all of them. I felt like the reason I was rejected was because I was competing against Harvard MBAs.

I picked Duke largely because of the people and the environment. It wasn't my top choice until I went there and visited, and when I did I was blown away. The students there REALLY love the place, and each other, and it was just something I knew I had to be a part of. Kind of tough to explain, it's just something you have to experience. That's why I always recommend that people visit the schools before making a decision about where to apply and/or where to attend. You never know what it actually feels like at each school until you go visit.

No, I was not involved in consulting before. This is a 180 degree career switch for me. Before school, I was doing typical boring stuff in the insurance industry. Now I'm in IT consulting, largely doing work for insurance firms, but what I do on a day to day basis is nothing like what I did before. It is most definitely possible to change your career. In fact, the majority of people who go back to get their MBA are trying to change what they do in some way. So in that regard, I'd say you statement about most people getting an MBA to further their career in banking or consulting isn't quite accurate. In fact, if you look at the surveys of where MBA students say they want to work, the top company is Google (for 5 years running now). If you look at the top 10 most sought after employers, it goes like this:

So, 5 of the top 10 are electronics/retailers, and 5 are consulting or finance/banking. I'd also add from my own experience that many of the people who end up in consulting were not consultants before school. Finance/banking people usually did have some kind of background in that, so your statement about furthering a career there is probably accurate.

As for your personal experience, I would agree that not having an MBA will make it tougher to crack into the finance world. MBAs make up a huge chunk of the hiring for those jobs, so if you don't have that, you're at a disadvantage. Especially if you don't have a strong background in that industry already. If that's what you really want to do, I'd recommend strongly considering an MBA. And yes, as Blueskies pointed out, it is expensive. But in the long run, it's totally worth it and I don't think that should be a concern. If you go to a good program and work hard, you'll get a job making 6 figures in your first year out, especially if you're going into finance. Besides, the way I look at it is this: I could have easily stayed where I was, working in a cushy, easy job, making pretty good money. But I was bored and completely underutilized. In 10, 20 years, when I looked back, I would have hated myself for not going for it. Conversely, now that I've done it, in 10, 20 years when I do look back, those loans will all be gone and I'll be so glad I went back to school. It's 100% worth it in my opinion.

_________________"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." - John Adams

“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson

February 9th, 2012, 10:35 am

Pablo

RIP Killer

Joined: August 6th, 2004, 9:21 amPosts: 9967Location: Dallas

Re: MBA

Blueskies wrote:

I would think that going to Wayne State on your employer's tab is much different from going to a top-flight program and probably racking up six figures of debt to do it.

I agree, however the GMAT is the same test for all schools and I was just trying to equate it to test he has probably already taken.

Yeah, the GMAT is the SAT on steroids. Its not some alien creature. But I think if you're still shooting for a top program, but you should take it very seriously.

I'd never considered Duke, but after reading your post, I'll look at it. I'm mostly attracted to Stanford, NYU and Columbia just for the networking/internship possibilities. There's also going back to Michigan (from what I've been told, it's easier for me to get accepted to Ross because I'm an alum) but I really want a chance to get out of the area full time.